Belts - A Comprehensive Guide

[zalcrux]

Just picked another belt. Went with a Crain 13mm lever belt. Very nice! I'll post up feedback once I use it for a few sessions. Now I didn't "need" another belt as I love my Bob's belt but I like the idea of having a lever belt for squats so I can loosen easy between sets and a prong for all my other lifts.

I will say this the feedback that I was able to find on the Crain belt said that this was exactly like an Inzer and on initial impressions I'd have to agree.

That belt looks sweet. Definitely post some feedback after you get a few sessions in with it.

[WorkoutToGain]

Just wondering what other's opinions are on this belt:
http://worldstandardfitness.com/prod...?id_product=25

How does it compare to some of the higher grade belts such as Inzer, and would it be worth a try?

[cmarti063]

Just wondering what other's opinions are on this belt:
http://worldstandardfitness.com/prod...?id_product=25

How does it compare to some of the higher grade belts such as Inzer, and would it be worth a try?

You did not read the first post. Go back and read it to learn why this belt is garbage.

[jrv1932]

Just picked another belt. Went with a Crain 13mm lever belt. Very nice! I'll post up feedback once I use it for a few sessions. Now I didn't "need" another belt as I love my Bob's belt but I like the idea of having a lever belt for squats so I can loosen easy between sets and a prong for all my other lifts.

I will say this the feedback that I was able to find on the Crain belt said that this was exactly like an Inzer and on initial impressions I'd have to agree.

Ok so I've had a chance to use my Crain belt for a couple of weeks now and I thought I'd give my feedback. I got this belt because although I do love my Bob's belt I wanted another belt that I could easily take on and off between sets of squats as I like to wear it really tight on that lift. A lever definitely does the trick here.

The difference in support between my 10mm and this 13mm is huge. Granted, I will have to break this one in as I do feel the belt digging in a bit but nothing crazy and it hasn't left any bruises or anything. Makes me wish I would have gone 13mm on my Bob's belt.

Now I went with Crain because I kind of wanted to go Inzer but because of their lack of customer service I didn't want to give them my money. I read some posts and a YouTube video that the Crain belt was exactly like the Inzer in almost every way and perhaps even made by the same people, although I don't know that to be true. Crain has been around a long time as well though. I've never used an Inzer but I've tried one on and can't tell any difference between the two. A nice thing about the Crain is that it's sized to your waist as well, not just general L, XL, etc. The craftsmanship is very good. No issues at all and looks like it will last forever. Not quite up to the quality of my Bob's belt because my Bob's belt has 8 rows of stitching as opposed to 6 but still very good.

Customer service was great. I called on the phone and Rickey Dale Crain was very helpful and supplied tracking info quickly that I asked for. He usually keeps popular sizes of black in stock so I got my black 36 in 3 days. Other colors I heard take a couple of weeks if he doesn't have it.

Now the lever on this belt is not the lever that comes with the belt. I already had a lifting large lever and Crain offers the belt for $77 with no lever($97 with lever). I don't like the Lifting Large lever though and want to upgrade later.

Below are pics with comparisons to my Bob's belt. Anyone looking for a high quality belt that's an alternative to Inzer from a company with great service i highly recommend Crain and the 13mm Xtreme power belt. I'm very happy with it.

[Druboutin]

Reading through this thread, the consensus seems to be "buy a 4" belt if you're only going to have one."

I'm looking to purchase a belt as I'm starting to move towards heavier lifting, but I have high set hips and a short torso. I tried a friends 4" Inzer and when set above my hips, the belt covers my bottom ribs and felt a little awkward. That was with no weights either, just tried it on at his house.

As you can see in my avi, I'm not a huge guy, nor am I built to powerlift. I simply want support as I move into heavier weights (relative to me) on my squats and DL. Given the fact that the 4" covers my ribs, should I consider buying a 3" instead? Is 4 necessary for someone who won't be focused on pure power workouts or would the 3" and it's better fit be suffice for my needs?

Thanks for any input.

Edit: I see Bob's sells a tapered belt that's 4" in the back and 3" in the front, but somewhere in this thread I read that the point of the belt is to distribute pressure evenly, and the idea behind a tapered belt is flawed. So I assume it would be better to go with a 3" all the way around rather than a tapered if I chose to go that route?

[cmarti063]

Reading through this thread, the consensus seems to be "buy a 4" belt if you're only going to have one."

I'm looking to purchase a belt as I'm starting to move towards heavier lifting, but I have high set hips and a short torso. I tried a friends 4" Inzer and when set above my hips, the belt covers my bottom ribs and felt a little awkward. That was with no weights either, just tried it on at his house.

As you can see in my avi, I'm not a huge guy, nor am I built to powerlift. I simply want support as I move into heavier weights (relative to me) on my squats and DL. Given the fact that the 4" covers my ribs, should I consider buying a 3" instead? Is 4 necessary for someone who won't be focused on pure power workouts or would the 3" and it's better fit be suffice for my needs?

Thanks for any input.

My 4" covers my false ribs. It does not bother my squatting, but it doesn't work for pulling. At 5'9" you should most likely get a 4" belt, but no one will kill you for getting a 3". Remember that the other fella's belt wasn't broken in to your waist. Your call.

[Druboutin]

My 4" covers my false ribs. It does not bother my squatting, but it doesn't work for pulling. At 5'9" you should most likely get a 4" belt, but no one will kill you for getting a 3". Remember that the other fella's belt wasn't broken in to your waist. Your call.

Thanks, do you think there's a substantial difference in stability as its related to squatting when comparing a 4 vs a 3? 3 would definitely be better from a comfort standpoint, but if it's going to sacrifice a lot in terms of stability and the overall purpose of wearing a belt, than it wont really matter if it's comfortable.

I'm going to be squatting with my buddies 4" tonight which will hopefully provide me with some additional clarity as well.

Edit: Just received an email from Bob's Belts stating they would be willing to make a 3.5" all around belt -- That may be an ideal compromise for me.

[cmarti063]

Thanks, do you think there's a substantial difference in stability as its related to squatting when comparing a 4 vs a 3? 3 would definitely be better from a comfort standpoint, but if it's going to sacrifice a lot in terms of stability and the overall purpose of wearing a belt, than it wont really matter if it's comfortable.

I'm going to be squatting with my buddies 4" tonight which will hopefully provide me with some additional clarity as well.

Edit: Just received an email from Bob's Belts stating they would be willing to make a 3.5" all around belt -- That may be an ideal compromise for me.

A 4" belt offers exactly 25% more support than a 3" belt. What that translates to in performance is different for everyone.

On comfort, the sets only last 30 seconds, I wouldn't worry too much about how comfortable it is. What is more important is how effective the belt is. I'll even grant that there is a possibility that if you -think- a 4" is too big it won't work as well for you. Remember, no one will stone you for deviating from the standard recommendation, you should simply understand why you are making a choice and what the compromise/trade-off is. Let us know if you do go with the 3.5" and if you can notice a significant difference from your friend's 4" Inzer.

[Druboutin]

A 4" belt offers exactly 25% more support than a 3" belt. What that translates to in performance is different for everyone.

On comfort, the sets only last 30 seconds, I wouldn't worry too much about how comfortable it is. What is more important is how effective the belt is. I'll even grant that there is a possibility that if you -think- a 4" is too big it won't work as well for you. Remember, no one will stone you for deviating from the standard recommendation, you should simply understand why you are making a choice and what the compromise/trade-off is. Let us know if you do go with the 3.5" and if you can notice a significant difference from your friend's 4" Inzer.

Thanks, I'll provide an update after I get it sorted out. Appreciate the guidance.

[djslik916]

Was gonna order a Bestbelts Prime Cut today, but they have stopped taking orders until they catch up on their backlog.

[FIUPanther]

Just ordered a black single prong Athlete cut from BestBelts based on the overwhelming positive reviews here.

I went an inch tighter than I measured.

I've never worn a belt before. Should help on those max rep attempts on 5/3/1!

[Druboutin]

Worked out with the 4" Inzer tonight and it was rather uncomfortable. If you were to draw a line from hip to hip, it would almost go through my navel, which I think is the problem. Most people's hips sit below the navel, not in line with it.

I raised the belt above my hips, but at this point it was no longer going across my lower abdominals/back, and was instead across my mid-upper abs, ribs, and mid back. Basically my pelvis precludes proper placement of the 4" belt no matter how I maneuvered it.

I think I'm going to have to get a 3" from BestBelts and see how it goes. Although I'm shorting myself an inch of surface area, I've got to think that a narrower belt is more beneficial than no belt.

I'll update my experience with the 3" after I get it

[maltralson]

If anyone is looking for an okay economical belt Rogue has there Econ 4" belt on closeout for $39, I have had mine for a year using it 3 times a week, and once its broken in is really comfortable. I'm sure any of the suggested brands are better but just another option if you fit in a large or or XXL.

[Detrus]

Yea Rogue introduced this "Echo" belt http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-echo-lifting-belt 10mm for $50.

Are those Rogue belts some higher level of quality compared to the usual belts sold for $50? $70 Inzer belts don't say they're broken in. Rogue Ohio belts are advertised as coming broken in. Is that worth the $30 price difference? Does the leather that come stiffer fall apart over time while broken in belts only get better? Or is Rogue selling good belts at a discount, Ohio being extra nice and "Echo" equivalent to some $80 belts?

I'll say one thing is for sure, I really like that powder coated buckle on the Rogue echo, it's like Batman.

[djslik916]

So I sent my order in to Dean and the wait begins!!!!!!!!

[FIUPanther]

Ordered from BestBelts on August 12 and received it today August 28.

Black Athletic Belt,

The belt looks solid, looking forward to using it.

[Cryptarchon]

man can't decide a color for a best belt. Any recommendations other than black?

[deadpool9]

man can't decide a color for a best belt. Any recommendations other than black?

Their Royal Blue looks nice.

[yaaar]

Have my best belt coming any day, will post some pictures once it comes. I got black but I love that red/while/blue one.

[Hallowedlunch]

Got my Best Belt today, and it is awesome! They said it's color scheme is unique, which I found interesting.
"You will have a belt that nobody else has as far as we know. We will ship it in a few days. Thank-you. Jackie Best"

[cmarti063]

Here's some interesting reading I stumbled across today.

http://www.setantacollege.com/wp-con...20exercise.pdf

Cliff's notes: squatting with a belt has identical abdominal and spinal erectors activation at the identically weighted beltless squat (your "core" works the same with or without a belt).

[TheScrawnyDude]

Got my Best Belt today, and it is awesome! They said it's color scheme is unique, which I found interesting.
"You will have a belt that nobody else has as far as we know. We will ship it in a few days. Thank-you. Jackie Best"

My orange Best belt has white stitching. I like yours too.

[Vancemac]

My orange Best belt has white stitching. I like yours too.

I ordered one a couple days ago. Did I miss a place to select stitching color?

[djslik916]

My Prime Cut Rust and my wifes 3 Inch Turquoise BestBelts came in yesterday. They are beautiful and very well made. The 13mm thickness is fine and I don't see any issues with bruising or pinching during squats. I was able to squeeze into my wifes belt on the very last hole, but I did notice that I can go 2 inches smaller using the 3 inch 10mm belt vs my 4 inch 13mm belt. The 3 inch belt is perfect for power cleans, dead lifts, and provides good support for bent over land mine rows.

[djslik916]

Got my Best Belt today, and it is awesome! They said it's color scheme is unique, which I found interesting.
"You will have a belt that nobody else has as far as we know. We will ship it in a few days. Thank-you. Jackie Best"

Is this the Orange? I like it very much I was considering grabbing a 3 inch in orange for myself.

[Cryptarchon]

man turquoise looks so beautiful. Got a email saying my navy bestbelt is coming in a week or so so I'm psyched.

[TheScrawnyDude]

Is this the Orange? I like it very much I was considering grabbing a 3 inch in orange for myself.

Yes, that is the orange. It definitely falls into the "earth tone" range of orange. It is not a bright or fluorescent orange at all. I love mine!

[coolio94]

Hoping to get a 4" green from beast belts, can't wait!

[Detrus]

Ordered a http://www.titansupport.com/products...thickness.html Quick release from Titan Support. When I emailed them to confirm that it takes over 8 weeks to ship they said yes it does.

For me it arrived in 3 weeks. Ordered black color and black thread.

[Vancemac]

Quite fond of my 4" lever belt, but wanted to try something a little less restrictive on hips/ribs for deadlifts so ordered a 3" Best Belt. As should be obvious from all the other feedback, it is outstanding, just adding two small anecdotes:

1) Their sizing guide is pretty spot on. It is maybe just slightly longer than I expected (given current weight, I expected to be just north of mid-point, but I'm just south, with 3 holes showing until tightened the most). The extra length of course is handy in cranking it down.

2) For reference, this is what their Navy looks like (if someone would be so kind as to embed... it's a slow road to 50 posts). //tinyurl.com/muynhzb